The Difference Between Liability Insurance Coverage and Uninsured Motorist Insurance Coverage After an Injury Accident
At Shorstein & Lasnetski, we often get questions from clients who have been injured in auto accidents in the Jacksonville area about insurance policies and coverage. After an accident involving injuries or a death, the types and amount of insurance play a large part of any subsequent personal injury or wrongful death claim or lawsuit.
Liability, or bodily injury, insurance coverage refers to insurance that covers you if you cause an auto accident that results in injuries or death to someone else. For instance, if you are driving on Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville, Florida, run a red light and hit a vehicle in the intersection, chances are you will be cited by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office officer for the accident and considered partially or completely at fault for the accident. If the driver (and/or passenger(s)) in the other vehicle is injured, he/she may make a claim for damages with your insurance company based on your bodily injury/liability insurance policy. This insurance coverage protects you against that claim by providing money for the other party's damages so you do not necessarily have to pay anything out of pocket.
Uninsured motorist insurance coverage is different. If you are driving on Blanding Boulevard and another vehicle abruptly swerves into your lane knocking you off of the road and into a tree, that other driver caused the accident. When making your claim for damages, you will want to find out what bodily injury liability that other driver (or the owner of that vehicle) has. What if that driver is uninsured? If you have uninsured motorist coverage on your insurance policy, your own insurance company will compensate you for the damages from that accident. With uninsured motorist coverage, your own insurance company stands in the shoes of the other at fault driver who is uninsured and should pay your claim.
In this second injury accident example, what if that at fault driver had some bodily injury insurance coverage but not enough to cover your damages? For instance, what if your damages amount to $100,000 but the other driver only has $25,000 in liability insurance coverage? In this case, that other driver is considered an underinsured driver, and your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage will pay you the difference, i.e. $75,000, assuming you have at least $75,000 in uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
After you have been involved in a serious accident or a loved one has been killed in an accident, there are many legal, medical and financial issues that arise immediately. One of those issues deals with insurance coverage and can be quite complicated. If you have any questions about an accident or related insurance coverage issues, contact a law firm whose lawyers have experience with the insurance laws and dealing with insurance companies so you can be sure that you are making a proper claim for all of the funds that are available.
